Our Values

As we grow with multiple teams around UK, India, Portugal and Switzerland, it feels like a good time to get down on paper Studio Graphenes's values.

Bias for action

If there’s a problem we can’t solve ourselves, we bring in others to help. We lead by example, never let things drift and always act with the teams’ and clients’ best interests at heart.

We empower everyone to have a sense of accountability, ownership and autonomy -  so they can take responsibility for driving Studio Graphene forwards and making it better every day.

Be water

Inspired by that famous Bruce Lee quote - we’re always striving to be as adaptable as we can be in a world of constant change.

As we grow both as individuals and together as a company, we’re always looking to learn wherever possible.

We seek out feedback and ways to improve, whilst remaining humble, open-minded and curious.

We encourage and support everyone to share their own ideas, opinions and knowledge - while being receptive to others.

One team, one dream

We always act in the best interests of the business and put the team ahead of any individual.

We prioritise the team as a whole and always consider the impact we have on each other and the wider business before acting. We help, respect each other and always focus on the common good.

Passion for what we do

We love what we do and we’re passionate about every project we work on.

We resiliently face any challenges head-on and are persistent and determined in our focus when bringing ideas to life.

We strive for delivery excellence, always maintaining consistently high standards in everything we do.

Be compassionate

We use technology as a force for good and through our work want to have a positive impact on the world.

As a team, we show empathy and compassion towards each other and everybody we work with.

We are always looking at ways to collectively help overcome any issues anyone might be facing.

We live and breathe Studio Graphene values.

We hope you enjoy the ride.

Diversity & Inclusion

We are a globally distributed company with offices in London, Portugal and India. We collaborate globally and celebrate the diversity of our team members who are from all parts of the globe. We don’t consider diversity and inclusion as a ‘check-box’ or ‘nice-to-have’ component - it is integral to our success as a company.

Building digital products requires enormous adaptability, creativity and global reach - all of which we believe is improved by diversity. Our diverse team brings different perspectives, problem-solving approaches and creativity and our clients ultimately benefit from this.

Our ongoing focus on building an inclusive culture

Inclusion is about building a work environment where all our team members are empowered to bring their full selves to work and to realise their full potential at Studio Graphene. We actively encourage feedback to ensure we are all mindful about our impact on each other and strive to be an environment where everyone feels welcome and has the opportunity to voice their concerns.

Global DEI Actions

1. Recruitment and Hiring

• We screen all jobs ads and descriptions for biased language
• We use diverse hiring sources and networks
• Our marketing materials reflect our values of diversity and inclusion
• We have a structured, documented interview process that ensures all candidates are assessed in the same manner
• Decisions related to hiring are made by more than one person
• We assess candidates based on observable skills and knowledge as well as their potential rather than years of experience, type of education institution or past employers. We look for people who will add to our culture with their unique values, ability and skills rather than “culture fit”
• All candidates are held to the same criteria and qualifications are not waived in special case (e.g. for friends of co-workers)
• Compensation is based on standardised criteria such as market pay

2. Benefits and Work Conditions

• We encourage our team members to take time off e.g. holiday or family leave
• Our team members can access mental health services through our benefits scheme or request it confidentially through the People Ops team
• Our benefits take into account the different needs of different team members
• Team members can request flexible time hours along with clear deliverables e.g. start the day earlier and finish earlier or take longer breaks
• Our code of conduct is openly shared so it is clear what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour
• Our team members know the steps they can take to safely share a complaint about work conditions, harassment or discrimination

3. Assessment and Promotion

• We have clearly articulated performance expectations for every role at Studio Graphene
• We have a clearly documented performance and development process in place
• Specific behaviours of inclusion (e.g. I create an environment of collaboration or my manager asks for my perspective) are set as performance criteria
• Decision relating to pay increases, promotions and terminations are made by more than one manager
• Everyone at Studio Graphene has received training on providing enabling feedback
• Where there are opportunities for new roles and opportunities, everyone knows about it
• We have a clear and transparent compensation structure and regularly audit compensation to ensure fairness and consistency

4. Meetings and social connections

• Managers are expected to have regular 1:1's with all members of their team
• There are established feedback norms for when and how often to share feedback e.g. peers are encouraged to seek and provide feedback via Culture Amp and Managers seek feedback on their direct reports at least quarterly
• All team members have equal access to support for professional development and learning
• Team members have the opportunity to showcase their work projects e.g. during our All Hands meetings
• All team members have access to Studio Graphene's strategic priorities and objectives

Mental Health & Wellbeing

We spend most of our time at work and therefore, as a business we have an obligation to ensure our team’s wellbeing at work is a core priority. It would not be possible, nor sustainable for our team to deliver amazing work for our clients if their wellbeing is compromised.

We are committed to ensuring our work culture is nurturing and supportive and that we create a safe space for our team members to openly discuss any challenges they are facing.

WellbeingWhen people are in a state of well-being at work, they are able to develop their potential, work productively and creatively, build positive relationships and make a meaningful contribution.

We take a holistic approach to wellbeing at Studio Graphene by deliberately building the right ecosystem to promote positive wellbeing for all of our team members.

Specifically, we focus on:

Our cultural norms

Positive well-being is baked into our culture rather than a stand-alone programme. As a project-driven environment, there may be instances where the team may need to work longer hours to get a project over the line. We are mindful, however, to ensure that the team does not work excessive hours for prolonged periods of time and regularly monitor timesheets so we can spot issues in advance.

We ensure that our projects are resourced adequately, that project teams have clear roles and responsibilities and that our processes and systems help our teamwork efficiently and effectively. Given our open and collaborative culture, team members are empowered and encouraged to raise issues.

On a quarterly basis, we ask our team for anonymous feedback on their work experience at Studio Graphene and address any issues head-on in an open and transparent manner.

Team Leads are and Project Leads are also responsible for spotting issues that may be impacting a team member’s wellbeing and they are expected to compassionately work with the team member to resolve the issue.

During the Covid-19 lockdown, we encouraged the team to work on a flexible schedule to suit their other commitments and provided the team with a budget to help them with their work from home setup.

Team resources

We provide private health insurance which includes psychological support for all team members at Studio Graphene. Team members may also contact a member of the People Ops team in confidence should they require further assistance.

Transparency and Openness

On a monthly basis, during our Global All Hands, we openly and transparently share feedback about our business, how we are performing and what our challenges are. We believe that transparency and openness fosters a culture of trust and mutual understanding.

Onboarding

It is really important for us to support new team members to succeed in their roles and to enjoy their experience at Studio Graphene.

We want new team members to be happy, engaged and effective as soon as possible.

This section of our handbook explains what we do to support new team members, from the day they sign their contract, through to the end of their first year with Studio Graphene.

Like all our processes, onboarding is something we review regularly to make sure it’s doing the job that we need it to.

A successful 3 months

We work cross functionally across time zones on different projects. It is therefore important that we provide new team members  with all the information and resources they require in order to succeed in their roles.

On the first day, new joiners are given an onboarding checklist to cover all the information they require to get effectively set up on payroll, access to systems and general logistical information.

During the first week, new joiners are introduced to key team members they will work closely with and are given access to all our systems and ways of working.

Managers are responsible for ensuring new joiners are clear about their roles and have access to their job outcomes / KRAs so they are clear about performance expectations for their role.

Month 1 check-in

During the first month, new team members undergo training on all our processes and systems, gain an understanding of projects they will be assigned to and are more closely supported on projects (if required). The manager and new team member agree specific learning goals and outline how progress will be measured.  By the end of the first month, the new team member and manager meet to share feedback and learnings and any immediate training gaps are outlined.

Month 2 check in

By the end of the second month, the new team member should be fully familiar with our systems and processes, have a clear understanding of what is expected from them,  have more established relationships with core team members and should start to feel more comfortable autonomously working on assigned projects.  The end of month 2 check in is for the new team member and manager to identify further training required and to share feedback.

Month 3 check in

By the end of the third month, new team members should be well on their way to becoming an established member of the team. At this stage, they should be working relatively autonomously on projects, building collaborative relationships with other team members and ideally, have made some quick wins on projects or our working practices. The purpose of the 3 month check in is to confirm the new joiner in their role permanently or, if required to extend their probationary period if they have not met the key requirements for their role and/or if more development is required. There should be no surprises at the 3 month review as managers are responsible for ensuring regular feedback and counsel is provided during the first 3 months at Studio Graphene.

Studio Graphene People Management Methodology

As we have evolved over the years from a relatively flat structure to now having more Team Leads, we felt it was important to articulate our methodology to managing people.

We recognise the tremendous value a great people manager has on a team member’s work experience, performance and career development. It is therefore crucial that our people managers are equipped with the relevant skills, abilities and motivation to manage people effectively.

The role of the Team Lead

Team Leads manage functional areas and are expected to:

• Build high performing and engaged teams who are empowered to deliver amazing work by setting a clear vision, ensuring goals are aligned and that people are focusing on solving the right problems
• Recruit and retain great people
• Coach direct reports so that they are empowered to find their own answers and commit to actions
• Provide regular, constructive and enabling feedback to direct reports
• Support their direct reports to develop their career
• Delegate effectively
• Promptly deal with issues before they escalate

The traits of a great Team Lead at Studio Graphene are:

• Models and encourages teamwork by fostering collaboration, communication, trust,  shared goals, mutual accountability and support
• Attracts and retains top talent by creating an inclusive environment built on trust,  delegation and accountability
• Self awareness - open about their communication and learning preferences, enabling those who report to them to do so with unambiguity
• Servant-leadership qualities - operates from a standpoint of wanting others to succeed. If critical feedback needs to be delivered, the Team Lead strives to surface issues constructively in a 1-1 setting

In certain situations for example, more complex projects, team members may take the role of a Project Lead. In those circumstances, Project Leads are responsible for:

• Providing constructive and enabling regular feedback to project team members
• Maintaining transparency, frequent and open communication and ensuring the project team are motivated and engaged on projects
• Modelling a culture of ongoing feedback that happens regularly throughout project life cycles
• Turning challenges into learning opportunities
• Creating a welcoming environment where project team members feel comfortable to have open discussions in order to continuously challenge each other
• Communicating exceptionally well, ensuring project teams are fully aware of all the relevant information required to deliver great work
• Removing roadblocks so that project team members are focused on delivering in accordance with their domain expertise
• Recognising great contributions to projects and celebrate project successes
• Conducting project retrospectives to ensure lessons are learned

Tracking People Engagement at Studio Graphene

Our team’s happiness and overall work experience at Studio Graphene is a strategic priority and is an area we constantly and consistently work on.

Twice a year, we ask everyone at Studio Graphene to complete an anonymous survey via Culture Amp in order to rate their overall happiness with their work experience at Studio Graphene.

The results are shared openly and transparently with the team and we prioritise actions to work on which we share with the team. 

We specifically ask our team to honestly provide feedback on:

• Our Leadership
• Relationship with your Team Lead
• Whether they believe they receive appropriate recognition for hard work
• Whether our systems and processes enable them to work efficiently and effectively
• The opportunities they have to develop your career aspirations
• Clarity on what they need to do to be successful in their role
• How aligned they feel towards our vision

We consider overall engagement to be an evolving process and we constantly strive to work on areas our team believes will have the greatest impact on their work experience at Studio Graphene.

Code of Conduct

Studio Graphene is committed to the highest standards of legal and ethical business conduct.  This code of conduct summarises the ethical standards for all team members of Studio Graphene.

We expect all team members to be familiar with the ethical standards described in this Code.

1. Our code of conduct aligns with our core values

2. Fair Dealing

All team members are expected to deal honestly, ethically and fairly with clients, partners, suppliers, competitors and other third parties. We:

• prohibit bribes, kickbacks or any other form of improper payment, direct or indirect, to any representative of a government, labour union, customer or supplier in order to obtain a contract, some other commercial benefit or government action;
• prohibit Team Members from accepting any bribe, kickback or improper payment from anyone;
• prohibit gifts or favours to or from any customer or supplier, except for promotional material of nominal value and gifts of modest value that are related to commonly recognised events or occasions; limit marketing and client entertainment expenditures to those that are necessary, prudent, job related and consistent with our policies;
• require clear and precise communication in our contracts, advertising, literature and other public statements and seek to eliminate misstatement of fact or misleading impressions; reflect accurately on all invoices to clients the sale price and terms of sale for services sold or rendered;
• protect all proprietary data our clients, partners or suppliers provide to us as reflected in our agreements with them or as compelled by law; and prohibit our representatives from otherwise taking unfair advantage of our clients, partners or suppliers, or other third parties, through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information or any other unfair dealing practice.

3. Conflict of interest

We recognise and respect team members' rights to engage in outside activities that they may deem proper and desirable, provided that these activities do not impair or interfere with the performance of their duties to Studio Graphene or their ability to act in Studio Graphene’s best interests. However, all Team Members must avoid situations in which their personal interests may conflict, or appear to conflict, with the interests of Studio Graphene.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of where conflicts of interest may reside. If in doubt, please speak to a member of the People Ops team.

Use of Studio Graphene Property

In the absence of prior approval, assets of Studio Graphene should be used for legitimate business purposes and for personal purposes only to the extent allowed by policy. All Team Members have an obligation to use Studio Graphene property efficiently and to report any theft or damage to their Manager.

By using any company electronic equipment or systems or by accessing the Internet or any company intranet using a company sign-on ID or any company computer equipment or systems, a Team Member acknowledges that he or she represents Studio Graphene and agrees to comply with our Information Security Policy. The Information Security Policy specifies requirements related to the use of Studio Graphene computing resources and data assets by Team Members so as to protect Studio Graphene and its clients, Team Members, contractors, and other partners from harm caused by both deliberate and inadvertent misuse.

Dealing with Partners, Suppliers and Competitors

Team Members shall select and deal with suppliers, clients, partners and other persons doing or seeking to do business with Studio Graphene in an impartial manner, without favour or preference based upon any considerations other than the best interests of Studio Graphene.

Team Members shall not seek or accept, directly or indirectly, any payments, fees, services, or loans from any person or business entity that does or seeks to do business with Studio Graphene. Full details can be found in our Anti-Bribery Policy.

Interests In or Relationships with Other Companies

Team Members shall not own, directly or indirectly, a financial interest in any business entity that is in competition with, or a significant financial interest in any business entity that does or seeks to do business with, Studio Graphene except where such interest has been fully disclosed to Studio Graphene and a determination has been made by us that such interest will not influence any decision that such person might be required to make performing duties for Studio Graphene. Team Members shall not accept a directorship or other managerial position in, or serve as a consultant or employee of, a business entity, organised for profit, that does or seeks to do business with, or is in competition with, Studio Graphene, without receiving specific approval from their manager.

Loans

Studio Graphene shall not make any loans to Team Members unless a Director approves them. No Manager shall solicit a loan from a subordinate or accept a loan from a subordinate.

Reporting Obligations

Team Members shall report in writing to their manager any personal ownership interest or other relationship that might affect their ability to exercise impartial, ethical business judgments in their area of responsibility. Each situation reported shall be reviewed by the Team Member’s manager, and the manager shall make a determination, with guidance from the People Ops team, as to whether a conflict of interest exists or may arise from such a situation. All Team Members shall give Studio Graphene their fullest cooperation in the correction of any situation in which a conflict exists or may arise.

4. Special Ethics Obligations for Team Members with Financial Reporting Responsibilities

The Founder and Finance Manager bear a special responsibility for promoting integrity throughout the company, with responsibilities to stakeholders both inside and outside of Studio Graphene. The Founder and Finance Manager have a special role not only to adhere to these principles themselves but also to ensure that a culture exists throughout Studio Graphene as a whole that ensures the fair, accurate, comprehensive and timely reporting of financial results. Because of this special role, Founder, Finance Manager and all other Team Members, must:

• act with honesty and integrity, avoiding actual or apparent conflicts of interest in personal and professional relationships;
• provide information that is accurate, complete, objective, timely and understandable to ensure full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that Studio Graphene files with, or submits to, government agencies and in other public communications;
• comply with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations, and acquire appropriate knowledge of such laws, rules and regulations relating to Studio Graphene’s  duties sufficient to enable the Team Member to recognise potential dangers and to know when to seek legal advice;
• promptly report any conduct believed to be a violation of law or business ethics or of any provision of this Code, including any transaction or relationship that reasonably could be expected to give rise to such a conflict; and
• promote accountability to this Code among all Team Members.

5. Compliance with all rules, laws and regulations

Studio Graphene will comply with all laws and governmental regulations that are applicable to its activities and expects all Team Members to obey the law. Specifically, Studio Graphene is committed to:

• maintaining a safe and healthy work environment;
• promoting a work environment that is free from discrimination or harassment based on race, colour, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability or sexual preference;
• supporting fair competition and laws prohibiting restraints of trade and other unfair trade practices;
• full compliance with applicable environmental laws; prohibiting any illegal payments, gifts, or gratuities to any government official, political party or customer; prohibiting the unauthorized use, reproduction, communication or distribution of any third party’s trade secrets, copyrighted information or confidential information; and

Global Performance and Development Process

Everyone at Studio Graphene will have 2 reviews a year (every 6 months) with their Line Manager to review and discuss:

• Your performance in relation to KRAs/Key Outcomes for your particular role;
• How you align/live up to our values;
• Specific skills you need to develop; and Your longer career development goals.

You should leave the review with a specific plan which includes:

• Golas to work on in order to meet the Key Outcomes/ KRAs for your role
• Development plan with specific learning goals and training options to grow your skill-set

Clarifying performance expectations

We believe it is important to clarify what is expected from each role at  Studio Graphene in order to deliver outstanding work for our clients, positively impact our colleagues and give our team members the best opportunity to succeed at Studio Graphene.

Every role at Studio Graphene has a defined list of key outcomes.

We have also codified the core values that make Studio Graphene unique. We believe it is important that we all live these values so review also includes a discussion about you align/ live up to our company values.

Our global process and key timelines

The timing of your review will be as follows:

London + Portugal Design - June and December

India and Portugal (Engineering) - May and November

What to cover during the review

• Collate feedback you have received over the past 6 months
  We have made it super easy to seek feedback via Culture Amp on a regular basis. We encourage everyone to seek feedback from colleagues on a quarterly basis at the minimum.
  
  Managers will also request feedback from colleagues ahead of your review in order to gain a wider understanding of your strengths and areas you may need to work on.
  
  We all have blind spots, so the purpose of feedback is to help you understand your strengths and areas you need to develop from a variety of colleagues that work with you in different contexts.
  ‍
• Reflect on the key outcomes of your role and our company values
  
  How have you delivered against these? Draw on specific projects you have worked on and provide as many examples as possible to validate your answers.
  
  Reflect on what specific skills you need to develop in order to deliver the outcomes of your role well.
  
  Consider the feedback you have received from colleagues and integrate this into your self-reflection
  
  Reflect on our 5 values and provide some commentary and examples of how you have lived our values

Training to complete ahead of your review

For team members:

• How to prepare for your review
  https://www.cultureamptraining.com/performance-reviews-for-employees
• How to set goals for growth and performance
  https://www.cultureamptraining.com/set-goals-for-performance-and-development-for-employees

For Managers

• The performance review cycle for managers
  https://www.cultureamptraining.com/performance-for-managers

Set goals for direct reports

https://www.cultureamptraining.com/leverage-goals-with-your-direct-reports-for-managers

Tools we use

The purpose of our processes and tools we use is to enable our teams to work well effectively and efficiently. Our team members have the autonomy and freedom to work in a way that helps them get their jobs done well, however, we have some standard practices and tools that we adopt company-wide, in order to ensure we do our best work for our clients.

Here is a rundown of the tools we use:

Slack - used for internal communication, business and people updates and general company announcements.

Jira - our project management tool

CharlieHR (UK and Europe) and Keka (India) - HR software for personal documentation and booking time off work

CultureAmp - performance management and employee surveys

Google Drive - Company documentation repository, policies and shared files

AWS - cloud services

Harvest - time recording tool

Xero - finance and invoicing

Adobe - design tool

Webflow - web design

GoDaddy - web hosting services

Typeform - surveys and forms

Miro - Whiteboarding/ process mapping

Studio Graphene Benefits and perks

We review our company benefits on an annual basis and regularly seek feedback from team members in order to ensure that our benefits are competitive and meaningful.

Peer Recognition Scheme - Global
‍Team Leads have a dedicated budget by which they can recognise and nominate team members on a monthly basis who go above and beyond in demonstrating our values. Team members earn points through a system called Nectar which can be redeemed for vouchers.

Health Plan/ Insurance - Global
‍We offer Health Insurance or a health plan for all our employees.

Pension - UK
‍All UK employees are automatically enrolled into a pension scheme

Meal Subsidy - Portugal
‍Employees in Portugal are entitled to a meal subsidy per day’s work

Equipment Budget for Remote Working
‍Employees have a budget to cover equipment during remote working. Please ask Carla in Finance for details.